Winter my arse! I'm sweating buckets and it’s only 8.43am. Mokhotlong had better be cold or my big winter coat will be
very unhappy.
I'm moving to Lesotho for a year. Six months ago, I had no idea Lesotho existed let alone that it was a country. Neither did I know anything about HIV or AIDS, other than what I'd seen on TV adverts and documentaries. I had a lot to learn. I have a lot to learn and there's no time like the present to dive on in and take note!
Day 1: Flights and First Impressions of the Big Capital of Lesotho!
Flights passed without much drama. They were long and tiring, 25 hrs of transit to be exact. I flew from London to Dubai, Dubai to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Maseru. However, I can't complain as Emirates were sen-frign-sational. It was like travelling on a floating hotel. The in-flight entertainment was great, and the food fab (especially the butter chicken and chocolate brownie!) but the free alcohol was the deal clincher. Unlimited small bottles of wine make sleeping on planes a lot more doable. The flight attendant on the South African Airways 36-seater jet took her job incredibly seriously. I’d made a Swiss friend and we weren’t allowed to sit together because our tickets didn’t say so (despite the fact there were only 8 people on the flight in total.) The attention to detail in her safety instructions was out of this world. She’s going places. The flight was only 40 minutes and we had an apple juicebox and a very full packet of BBQ corn crisps to keep us happy. Can’t complain.
Day 1: Flights and First Impressions of the Big Capital of Lesotho!
Flights passed without much drama. They were long and tiring, 25 hrs of transit to be exact. I flew from London to Dubai, Dubai to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Maseru. However, I can't complain as Emirates were sen-frign-sational. It was like travelling on a floating hotel. The in-flight entertainment was great, and the food fab (especially the butter chicken and chocolate brownie!) but the free alcohol was the deal clincher. Unlimited small bottles of wine make sleeping on planes a lot more doable. The flight attendant on the South African Airways 36-seater jet took her job incredibly seriously. I’d made a Swiss friend and we weren’t allowed to sit together because our tickets didn’t say so (despite the fact there were only 8 people on the flight in total.) The attention to detail in her safety instructions was out of this world. She’s going places. The flight was only 40 minutes and we had an apple juicebox and a very full packet of BBQ corn crisps to keep us happy. Can’t complain.
My first impressions of Maseru are a bit muddled. First off,
it’s a lot poorer than I’d imagined. Quite a few small buses are whizzing
around but very few personal cars. Lots of people walk along the main roads,
not able to fit on the groaning and puffing public taxes. There are lots and
lots of shanty shacks littering the road side, selling everything from bananas
to car tyres. There are random houses which, when you look closely, are
actually hairdressers or butchers. I haven’t yet seen a restaurant, unless you
count the half-built brick building which claim to be grills or public bars.
However, my first impression of the people couldn’t be
better. So very friendly, humble, hospitable and keen to know you. The lady at
customs asked me to marry her son, which is always nice. Fallback plan, sorted.
Everyone was honking or waving at each other as they passed by. Especially my
driver, Mike. He seems to know everybody!
So, overall, it’s a pretty mixed reaction but mostly positive in the areas that matter! Just waiting for Jules and Nthabeleng. Let’s see what today brings!
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